The canned tomato thing annoys me. They suggest using jarred pasta sauce instead, which is usually loaded with sodium and one of the reasons I switched to canned tomatoes. Was this list funded by Whole Foods?

Couple of things. First, if your goal is to avoid toxins you will probably have different picks then someone trying to maximize overall health. There’s always trade offs.

Second, if I remember correctly it suggested finding tomatoes in glass jars and only getting the sauce if they weren’t available. If you’re really worried about BPA (or whatever chemical it was specifically talking about) then their advice works. If you’re more worried about sodium, then stay away from the sauce.

Better to just avoid pre-packaged food in general. Though personally, I’m much more concerned about getting all the right things then I am about eating a few bad things. The body is pretty good at dealing with toxins but can’t always do anything about not having the right raw materials. Not that there is any hard evidence saying that my way is better than the person avoiding toxins. You can’t get hard research when people aren’t willing to be guinea pigs for proper scientific studies. Which is a good thing.

You won’t find any BPA in canned goods. BPA is a chemical associated with a specific type of plastic (polycarbonate, to be precise). You are better off avoiding foods packaged in plastic; better yet, avoid microwaving plastic and washing it in a dishwasher.

i bet most of average consumer chemicals intake comes from daily use of palstic, not from any residual levels of pesticide on produce. JMHO, of course – but i am a chemist.

too generic a list. most people concerned about their health have found, let’s say, canned tomatoes that ARE good. As for salmon, good luck with your food purveyor coming clean on this one… if they even know.

This actually isn’t a terrible list for a mainstream media magazine. It was nice that they mentioned Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms. In addition to hormone-free milk, I would also suggest avoiding all dairy unless it is grass-fed and raw (unpasturized, unhomongenized). Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent offers a nice selection of raw dairy products, including milk and cheese.

The problem isn’t plastics; some contain no BPA at all. The problems are polycarbonate AND epoxy resins, Both of which are made from BPA and both of which have been used for food containers of one kind or another. It’s the epoxy resins that are used to line cans.

First I have to say that Yana’s comment was just plain irresponsible and uninformed. The consumer union recently tested canned food, even cans claiming to be BPA free, and still found BPA present in their samples.

Not all chemists are crackerjacks.

The question is, what do you care about. Ultimately I believe the solution is having a varied diet. Following what the health patrol says will leave your head spinning, and your diet careening from one extreme to the other ever few months.

If you care about the nutrition in your food, the canned tomatoes are good.
If you care about toxic chemicals in your food, the canned tomatoes are bad.
If you are about microbial safe food, the canned tomatoes are good.
If you care about eating local, the canned tomatoes are bad.

Overall, I do think this is a very good list. The amount of farmed salmon on local menus, especially at higher end restaurants, is really a travesty.

I love canned tomatoes, and will continue to use them. But after reading this report, I am certainly more aware of the issues surrounding canned goods. And as I result I am trying to make them less of a staple in my family’s diet.